Satirical fiction and parodies

Book SynopsisKafka meets The Thick Of It in a bitingly funny new political satire from Ian McEwanThat morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a gigantic creature.Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain – and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way: not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.With trademark intelligence, insight and scabrous humour, Ian McEwan pays tribute to Franz Kafka’s most famous work to engage with a world turned on its head.Trade ReviewA comic triumph… How do you make a show of people who are doing such a fabulous job of making a show of themselves? McEwan manages to do so with great style and comic panache. -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer, Book of the Day *The Cockroach is a satirical novella for our times, sharply observed and often very funny… an entertaining read, confronting the reality of Britain today. * Eastern Daily Press, *Book of the Week* *The latest instalment in his [McEwan’s] imaginative scrambling of English social history and of reality… [McEwan] finds room, amid all the Hansard send-ups and diplomatic silliness, to allude to more troubling physical-philosophical quandaries, while positing an alternative history of economic thought that culminates in a wayward version of our present. -- Leo Robson * New Statesman *Brexit has such a camp, knowing, performative quality that it is almost impossible to inflate it any further… McEwan manages to do so with great style and comic panache… very funny… McEwan’s comic parable at least provides some relief from a political farce that has long gone beyond a joke. -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer *A well-constructed novella by a master of the art. -- Stephen Bush * Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisReader, she married him. But not before a LOT of discussion of his behaviour in the group chat.With courage, determination and logged into her social media accounts - plain Jane Eyre is ready to take on the world. But then she meets and begins to fall for Edward Rochester, AKA the definition of a red flag, with screenshots to prove it.When authors Claire McGowan and Sarah Day imagined how 'Pride and Prejudice on Social Media' might look, retelling the story through mocked-up social media posts, their post instantly went viral. Now, they return with a Bronte classic told through highs and lows of social media . . .Perfect for fans of Charlotte Brontë . . .***READERS LOVE JANE EYRE ON SOCIAL MEDIA***'This is a fun text with a witty comedic spin and definitely one to put on your TBR pile' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If you read nothing else this year, read this! It's honestly the best read of the year. Not only is it a clever idea for a retelling, it's charming, witty and downright hilarious!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'It all did make me laugh. Lots!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Really well done and difficult to put down. I see the authors have done the same thing with Pride and Prejudice and I am definitely adding that to my TBR' ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a funny and quirky book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This clever retelling combines charm, wit, and humour to create an engaging and hilarious narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A lot of fun and a good way to make modern a classic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning Tunisian author comes a stirring allegory about a country in the aftermath of revolution and the power of a single quest. Sidi lives a hermetic life as a bee whisperer, tending to his beloved “girls” on the outskirts of the desolate North African village of Nawa. He wakes one morning to find that something has attacked one of his beehives, brutally killing every inhabitant. Heartbroken, he soon learns that a mysterious swarm of vicious hornets committed the mass murder—but where did they come from, and how can he stop them? If he is going to unravel this mystery and save his bees from annihilation, Sidi must venture out into the village and then brave the big city and beyond in search of answers. Along the way, he discovers a country and a people turned upside down by their new post–Arab Spring reality as Islamic fundamentalists seek to influence votes any way they can on the eve of the country’s first democratic elections. To succeed in his quest, and find a glimmer of hope to protect all that he holds dear, Sidi will have to look further than he ever imagined. In this brilliantly accessible modern-day parable, Yamen Manai uses a masterful blend of humor and drama to reveal what happens in a country shaken by revolutionary change after the world stops watching.Trade ReviewWinner of the Prix Comar d’Or and the Prix des Cinq Continents International Praise for The Ardent Swarm “Yamen Manai…speaks with the accuracy of the scientist and at the same time the fire of a poet and the imagination of the novelist.” —Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, in interview with Patrick Simonin, TV5 Monde “[The Ardent Swarm explores] the problems of contemporary Tunisia but [they are] approached in a very gentle, very subtle way, with a smile.” —Yvan Le Perec, France Bleu “What a wonderful little book that is at once an enchantment, a hymn to nature, a warning about intolerance and the fundamentalism that threatens us, and also a great lesson in courage.” —Gérard Collard, La Griffe Noire Praise for The Ardent Swarm “Warmth, compassion, and humanity, with here-and-there touches of sarcasm and humor. A well-told tale showing that modernity isn’t always a blessing.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Masterly…The enormous talent on display here recommends a second reading to relish the author’s storytelling ability.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Lyrical prose and layered insights…a vivid meditation on societal discord and harmony. This elegant allegory of globalization’s insidious nature finds rich drama in the tense, turbulent reckoning with questions of modernity versus tradition.” —Publishers Weekly “A beautifully written novel that blends poetry with politics.” —Christian Science Monitor “Manai delves into serious issues in this novel, but there’s also this humor, this passion, this humanity that buzzes around every page.” —Writer’s Bone “The Ardent Swarm reminded me of my time in Tunisia in the years that followed the Jasmine Revolution in 2011. Drawing on real events that took place in the country, the author constructs a revealing allegory about the opposing political forces at work then. For readers who want to know more about the Arab Spring, The Ardent Swarm is a perfect place to begin their journey.” —Jake Walles, Former U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia

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Book SynopsisIn this hilarious and heartfelt story from the bestselling author of Dry Hard, Will hasn’t seen his rock-star dad for thirty years. But now he’s back for an encore… Will Fairweather is getting old. His back aches, his bowels misbehave if he eats spicy food and he’s completely lost his sense of rhythm. Life has taught him not to take risks, but even that hasn’t stopped his marriage hitting the rocks too. The last thing he needs is a surprise call from Red Fairweather, devil-may-care rock god—and the father Will hasn’t seen for thirty years. If Will’s old before his time, Red’s the boy who won’t grow up. When Will needs somewhere to live, with nowhere else to turn, he finds himself back with the hellraiser who deserted his family. As Will tries to come to terms with the downward spiral of his life, he starts to realise there’s more to Red than he thought—there’s a real human being under all that leather and attitude, a dad determined to make up for lost time and help his son get back on track. Can Will make his peace with a father seeking forgiveness?

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Book SynopsisThe bold and boundlessly original debut novel from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York.Riotously funny' New York TimesJust as loopy and clever as his movies' Washington PostB. Rosenberger Rosenberg, neurotic and underappreciated film critic (failed academic, filmmaker, paramour, shoe salesman who sleeps in a sock drawer), stumbles upon a hitherto unseen film by an enigmatic outsider a three-month-long stop-motion masterpiece that took its reclusive auteur ninety years to complete. Convinced that the film will change his career trajectory and rock the world of cinema to its core, that it might possibly be the greatest movie ever made, B. knows that it is his mission to show it to the rest of humanity. The only problem: the film is destroyed, leaving him the sole witness to its inadvertently ephemeral genius.All that's left is a single frame from which B. must somehow attempt to recall the work of art thTrade Review‘Magnificent … crammed with insanely creative gags’ Guardian ‘Outstanding. Combining his films’ most urgent themes and recurring concerns in a format that supports the digressions and logic-loops he’s so famous for, Charlie Kaufman may have out-Kaufmaned himself’ The i ‘A very strong debut novel, a long, anguished spill of a book, full of buried furies and nervy philosophical expeditions, constantly tossing off sparks of humour and imagination … at once surreal and highly readable’ LA Times ‘Marked by a feverish genius. Antkind is Kaufman pushing himself to every formal and social limit, no holds barred, bleak and devastating, yet marvellous’ LA Times Review of Books ‘Magnificent, genius, enraging, mysterious, joyous, terrifying and, above all, hilarious! Antkind might contain the universe’ Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less ‘A full-throttled absurdist revolt against the constraints of the audience-tested mass entertainment, Antkind is unbridled Kaufman energy and wit coming up against the limits of the imagination itself: discursive, subversive, and genuinely funny’ Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End ‘To paraphrase Charlie Kaufman, it’s like a brain factory in there! This is a whopper of a book, bursting with the driest of humour, the strangest of scenarios, and the most brilliant of observations. It is wholly original, maddening, and marvellous’ Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book ‘Each page is so stuffed with invention, audacity and hilarity, it feels like an act of defiance. Antkind is a fever dream you don’t want to be shaken awake from, a thrill ride that veers down stranger and stranger alleys until you find yourself in a reality so kaleidoscopic you will question your own sanity. Or: the novel only Charlie Kaufman could pull off’ Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

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Book Synopsis''I can honestly say I can''t think of another book that ever made me laugh this much. Ever'' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the WindEnsign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It''s a prestige posting, and Andrew is even more delighted when he''s assigned to the ship''s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn''t be better ... although there are a few strange things going on:(1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces(2) the ship''s captain, the chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these encounters(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Suddenly it''s less surprising how much energy is expended below decks on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned an Away Mission. Andrew''s fate may have bee

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Book SynopsisRudy Waltz hasn't had it easy. After accidentally committing manslaughter at the age of twelve, the traumas life continued to throw at him seemed almost inconsequential.Trade Review‘The master at his quirky, provocative best.’ Cosmopolitan ‘Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer … a zany but moral mad scientist.’ Time

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Slaughterhouse 5.Trade Review‘Vonnegut is at his edifying best.’ The Philadelphia Inquirer ‘The quicksilver mind of Vonnegut is at it again … He displays all his talents satire, irony, ridicule, slapstick, and even a shaggy dog story of epic proportions.’ The Cincinnati Post ‘[Kurt Vonnegut is] a voice you can trust to keep poking holes in the social fabric.’ San Francisco Chronicle ‘It has the qualities of classic Bosch and Slaughterhouse Vonnegut … Bluebeard is uncommonly feisty.’ USA Today ‘Is Bluebeard good? Yes! … This is vintage Vonnegut-good wine from his best grapes.’ The Detroit News ‘A joyride … Vonnegut is more fascinated and puzzled than angered by the human stupidities and contradictions he discerns so keenly. So hop in his rumble seat. As you whiz along, what you observe may provide some new perspectives.’ Kansas City Star

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Book SynopsisJane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is a comedic and brilliantly postmodern lampoon of gothic romance novels.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. Gorgeously illustrated by the celebrated Hugh Thomson, this edition also includes an afterword by David Pinching.Catherine Morland is a naive young woman whose perceptions of the world around her are greatly influenced by the romantic gothic novels to which she is addicted. When she moves to Bath she sees mystery and intrigue all around her – not least of all in Northanger Abbey itself, the home of General Tilney and his handsome son Henry, where Catherine suspects a sinister crime has occurred . . .Trade ReviewThe work of a great writer flexing her creative muscles . . . As well as being a deft comedy of manners, Northanger Abbey also fools entertainingly with the slippery relationship of fact and fiction. -- Robert McCrum * Guardian *Austen’s Northanger Abbey was in part a playful response to what she considered ‘unnatural’ in the novels of her day: Instead of perfect heroes, heroines and villains, she offers flawed, rounded characters who behave naturally and not just according to the demands of the plot. -- Jo Baker * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisJane Austen was born in 1775 in rural Hampshire, the daughter of an affluent village rector who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. In novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma she developed her subtle analysis of contemporary life through depictions of the middle classes in small towns. Her sharp wit and incisive portraits of ordinary people have given her novels enduring popularity. She died in 1817.

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Book SynopsisBucky Wunderlick is a rock and roll star. Dissatisfied with a life that has brought fame and fortune, he suddenly decides he no longer wants to be a commodity.He leaves his band mid-tour and holes up in a dingy, unfurnished apartment in Great Jones Street. Unfortunately, his disappearing act only succeeds in inflaming interest . . .Great Jones Street, Don DeLillo's third novel, is more than a musical satire: it probes the rights of the individual, foreshadows the struggle of the artist within a capitalist world and delivers a scathing portrait of our culture's obsession with the lives of the few.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewAmerica's greatest living writer. * Observer *Brilliant, deeply shocking. * New York Review of Books *DeLillo has the force and imagination of Thomas Pynchon or John Barth, with a sense of proportion and style which these would-be giants often lack. * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'I can wholeheartedly confirm that Susie Donkin is funnier than Shakespeare' MEL GIEDROYC'Impeccably researched, contagiously enjoyable, highly recommended.' BRIAN COXImogen thinks she knows what Shakespeare's most famous plays are all about. Everyone does, right? Star-crossed lovers. Naughty Greeks getting up to mischief in the woods. Scottish kings losing their minds. Young men with daddy issues. Dads who just need some positive affirmation from their daughters*. (*Okay, that's maybe putting it a bit mildly) But when Imogen brings 14 amateur actors together to perform one of the Bard's great works in a bid to save their local community centre, it becomes apparent that she - or anyone who reads this book for that matter - will never see Shakespeare's greatest works in the same light again . . ."BAFTA-winning Horrible Histories writer Susie Donkin makes Shakespeare's greatest works even greater." Stan Lafski, Imogen's uncle "A very funny book. Would definitely not have been as funny if it was about Christopher Marlowe." Larry Fairfoul, troupe memberTrade ReviewI can wholeheartedly confirm that Susie Donkin is funnier than Shakespeare -- MEL GIEDROYCImpeccably researched, contagiously enjoyable, highly recommended. -- BRIAN COX

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Book SynopsisBlending history, mythology and a timeless love story, this is a satirical, magical masterpiece. In the near future, after a storm strikes New York City, the strangenesses begin. A down-to-earth gardener finds that his feet no longer touch the ground. A graphic novelist awakens in his bedroom to a mysterious entity that resembles his own comic book creation. Abandoned at the mayor's office, a baby identifies corruption with her mere presence, marking the guilty with blemishes and boils. A seductive gold digger is soon tapped to combat forces beyond imagining. Unbeknownst to them, they are all descended from the whimsical, capricious, wanton creatures known as the jinn. Centuries ago, Dunia, a princess of the jinn, fell in love with a mortal man of reason. Together they produced an astonishing number of children, unaware of their fantastical powers, who spread across generations in the human world. 'A riotous, exuberant and sometimes maddening celebration of the power of storytelling' Sunday TimesTrade Review[The book] moves between gentle irony and moments of profound emotion. It is a riotous, exuberant and sometimes maddening celebration of the power of storytelling, and of the importance of education and culture. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *His usual seamless blend of the realistic and fantastic. * Travel Guide *Two Years, Eight Months & Twenty-Eight Nights blends Arabian myth, history and sci-fi into a whirlwind fable. * Good Housekeeping *Rollicking, lyrical and very enjoyable tale. -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *A powerful indictment of religious violence. -- Francesca Wade * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisAll modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. It''s the best book we''ve had. - Ernest HemingwayA nineteenth-century boy from a Mississippi River town recounts his adventures as he travels down the river with a runaway slave, encountering a family involved in a feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and Tom Sawyer''s aunt who mistakes him for Tom.In this unforgettable adventure for all ages, Twaindelves into issues such as racism, friendship, war, religion, and freedom with an uncanny combination of lightheartedness and gravitas.This was the first major American novel to be written in the vernacular, a dark and funny satire that exposes the bigotry and hypocrisy of provincial America during Mark Twain''s lifetime. A rite of passage for ever young reader, this book continues to delight readers around the world and remainsas fresh and as funny as ever.The Legend Classics series:Around the World in Eighty DaysThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Importance of Being EarnestAlice''s Adventures in WonderlandThe MetamorphosisThe Railway ChildrenThe Hound of the BaskervillesFrankensteinWuthering HeightsThree Men in a BoatThe Time MachineLittle WomenAnne of Green GablesThe Jungle BookThe Yellow Wallpaper and Other StoriesDraculaA Study in ScarletLeaves of GrassThe Secret GardenThe War of the WorldsA Christmas CarolStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeHeart of DarknessThe Scarlet LetterThis Side of ParadiseOliver TwistThe Picture of Dorian GrayTreasure IslandThe Turn of the ScrewThe Adventures of Tom SawyerEmmaThe TrialA Selection of Short Stories by Edgar Allan PoeGrimm Fairy TalesThe AwakeningMrs DallowayGulliver's TravelsThe Castle of OtrantoSilas MarnerHard Times

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Book Synopsis'A masterpiece in every sense' Daily MailThe Drones club's in peril. Gussie's in love. Spode's on the warpath. And His Majesty's Government needs a favour. Thank goodness Bertie Wooster is back!From the mean streets of Mayfair to the scheming spires of Cambridge, prepare to meet a joyous cast of characters: chiselling painters and criminal bookies, eccentric philosophers and dodgy clairvoyants, appalling poets and pocket dictators, vexatious aunts and their vicious hounds.Have we ever needed Jeeves and Wooster more?Trade Review[Schott] captures the style of the Master very well indeed. He follows Jeeves And The King of Clubs with a glorious romp . . . a splendidly jolly read. * Daily Express *Once again pastiche perfect. -- Ian Sansom’s book of the year * Times Literary Supplement *Captures PG Wodehouse's style very well. * Daily Mirror *A combination of the old and new, done with panache and wit . . . Schott's new novel is a hugely welcome one, and deserves to soar up the Christmas bestseller lists. * The Critic *Ben Schott's second Jeeves and Wooster book proves an enjoyable continuation of PG Wodehouse's classic characters. Schott writes in a distinctive style that is somewhere between homage and postmodern response, and his story . . . is more eventful and action-packed than Wodehouse would ever have countenanced. And it ends on a splendid cliff hanger. * Observer *This homage to P.G. Wodehouse is so good that a blind reading (i.e. a genuine 'Plum' versus Schott's pastiche) would be a tricky call. Everything is in its place: Jeeves shimmers, aunts scheme, Drones drone. Even the style is spot-on: the erudition of Schott's various Miscellanies finds expression as similes and quotations of hilarious ingenuity . . . the sheer luxury, wealth and self-assurance of Bertie's world is brilliantly evoked with all its enviable light-heartedness intact. A masterpiece in every sense. * Daily Mail *In times of stress, there's nothing like an outing with Bertram Wilberforce Wooster. A very creditable and uplifting homage to the master. * Saga Magazine *

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Book SynopsisNancy Mitford modelled the characters in her best-known novels on her own unconventional (and at the time of writing, notorious) family. We are introduced to the Radletts through the eyes of their cousin, Fanny ('the Bolter's girl'), on one of her frequent visits to their country estate: Uncle Matthew the blustering patriarch, owner of that bloodied entrenching tool above the fireplace, who hunts his children with bloodhounds; vague Aunt Sadie, and six children recklessly eager to grow up. The Pursuit of Love is the story of Linda, the most beautiful and wayward of the Radlett daughters, who falls first for a stuffy Tory politician, then an ardent Communist (whom she follows to the Spanish Civil War), and finally a very wicked and irresistibly charming French duke. Love in a Cold Climate, again related by Fanny, focuses on Polly Hampton, long groomed for the perfect marriage by her fearsome mother, Lady Montdore, but secretly determined to pursue her own course.

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Book SynopsisIn Hard Times, Dickens illustrates the condition of England through the fictional city of Coketown. Among its inhabitants are Thomas Gradgrind, the utilitarian headmaster who attempts to impose his rigid worldview on his family circle, and the uncaring businessman Mr Bounderby. Their materialist philosophies, as opposed to the world of fancy or imagination, are tested throughout the novel, which also explores workers’ conditions, trade unions and the spurious use of statistics. Perhaps the most polemical of his novels – in which hard-biting satire, moving drama and exuberant comedy find a very succinct and powerful expression – Hard Times is the ideal introduction to the world of Dickens.Trade ReviewHe belongs to that brilliant school of English novelists whose finely sketched and eloquent portrayal of the world have revealed more political and social truths than all the professional politicians, journalists and moralists put together. -- Karl Marx

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Book SynopsisIn the Midwestern city of Zenith, the middle-aged estate agent George F. Babbitt appears to have achieved the American dream to its fullest: he is successful at work, comfortably off, exceedingly well fed, has a wife and children, a motor car and a neat house with a neat yard, and is a proud member of all the right clubs - in short, he lacks nothing to be happy. Or does he? As we follow his humdrum daily routine and startling events begin to unfold around him, we discover that all is not well in Babbitt's world: his moral foundations are shaking, and he can't help harbouring rebellious dreams of escape and romance. A trenchant satire on consumeristic society and an indictment of the fatuous ideals of middle America in the Roaring Twenties, Babbitt - the crowning achievement of Sinclair Lewis, winner of the 1930 Nobel Prize in Literature - questions the attractions of materialistic fulfilment, at the same time laying bare the hollowness of social respectability and blind conformism.

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Book SynopsisCollects Right Ho, Jeeves; Joy in the Morning; and Carry on, Jeeves''If you haven''t read PG Wodehouse in a hot bath with a snifter of whiskey and ideally a rubber duck for company, you haven''t lived [...] A book that''s a sheer joy to read.'' INDEPENDENT''To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.'' BEN SCHOTT______________________Jeeves may not always see eye to eye with Bertie Wooster on ties and fancy waistcoats, but he can always be relied on to whisk his young master spotlessly out of the soup (even if, for tactical reasons, he did drop him in it in the first place).The paragon of Gentlemen''s Personal Gentlemen shimmers through the pages in much the same way he did through the first Jeeves Omnibus. This volume contains one brilliant collection of short stories and two hilarious novels: Right Ho, Jeeves, Joy in Trade ReviewThe greatest comic writer ever * Douglas Adams *The funniest writer ever to put words to paper -- Hugh LaurieP.G. Wodehouse wrote the best English comic novels of the century -- Sebastian FaulksSublime comic genius -- Ben Elton

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Book SynopsisSteve Tesich wrote many plays and screenplays, including the Academy Award-winning Breaking Away and The World According to Garp. His first novel, Summer Crossing, was published in 1982. He died in 1996 at the age of fifty-three.Trade ReviewKaroo has all the ingredients of a truly great novel. Its plot has the pathos of a Greek tragedy and enough twists and turns to satisfy the most avid Raymond Chandler fan. The characters come alive as soon as they appear on the page. Fantastic * Literary Review *Utterly wonderful... This novel does supremely what novels were invented to do - it confronts the most unbearable sadness with a comic exhilaration that makes you almost pleased that life is tragic -- Howard JacobsonMordantly funny, unexpectedly moving and brutally honest about the business of making movies -- Richard E GrantFascinating. A real satiric invention, loaded with wise outrage -- Arthur MillerTerrific. Nakedly honest, a tour de force of self-destruction. As Saul spirals into free-fall we're with him all the way, because he's so furiously funny -- Deborah Moggach

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Book Synopsis“SPRAWL in fact does not sprawl at all; rather, it radiates with control and fresh, strange reflection.” —Bookforum“Reads as if Gertrude Stein channeled Alice B. Toklas writing an Arcades Project set in contemporary suburbia.” —The BelieverWhen Danielle Dutton’s SPRAWL first broke upon the world in 2010, critics likened it to collage, a poetics of the suburbs, a literal unpacking of et cetera. This updated edition, with a new afterword by Renee Gladman, reopens the space of SPRAWL’s “fierce, careful composition”—as Bookforum wrote—“which changes the ordinary into the wonderful and odd.”Today I fell asleep in the tall grass near the old train station. It was a complete picture. A fashionable park. Yet the picture had its sordid and selfish aspect. I can’t seem to say what I mean, Mrs. Barbauld, but with some urgency I mean to inform you what a triumph the big city has become. I am a secular individual but even I can feel the shift in the horizon utterly alien to the constitution of things, the habitual. Sincerely, etc. I move in shade on the edge of a parking lot under walnut trees in the early morning around the edge of a curve in an accidental manner. I walk the sidewalk and ripple the surface of it. From this condition I have a view of the world.Danielle Dutton is the author of Margaret the First, SPRAWL, and Attempts at a Life. Her writing has also appeared or is forthcoming in The Paris Review, Harper’s, The White Review, Fence, BOMB, and others. She is on the faculty of the writing program at Washington University in St. Louis and is co-founder and editor of the feminist press Dorothy, a publishing project.Trade Review"Danielle Dutton's SPRAWL reads as if Gertrude Stein channeled Alice B. Toklas writing an Arcades Project set in contemporary suburbia."—The Believer"Borrowing techniques from both fiction, poetry, and visual art (particularly photography), the book not only infuses each object . . . with a Vermeeresque glow but arranges it into part of a verbal still life. The result? A fresh take on suburbia, one of reverence and skepticism. The beauty of SPRAWL resides in its fierce, careful composition, which changes the ordinary into the wonderful and odd. SPRAWL in fact does not sprawl at all; rather, it radiates with control and fresh, strange reflection."—Bookforum"In the long line of novels about the vapidity of suburbia, Dutton has a narrator who may be one of the most likable. Aloof and hilarious, she dissects their lives with the casualness of a cynical scientist."—TimeOut Chicago"This experimental novel is best read in a single sitting and, like the photographs that inspired it, can be viewed in any number of ways, with a different effect each time."—Publishers Weekly"SPRAWL feels like walking around the neighborhood at night, spying through lit living room windows . . . Dutton makes the domestic feel forbidden with how lusciously she renders each scene."—Nathan Scott McNamara, Lithub"Dutton is not the first writer to explore the paradoxical nature of contemporary suburbia . . . yet Dutton has found her own perspective on the subject, and a formal balance between experiment and simplicity, critique and appreciation. Yes, SPRAWL heaps volumes of satire on suburbia. Here, however, suburbia is in on the joke, and returns our gaze."—Erin Becker, Make Magazine"At the heart of Danielle Dutton's SPRAWL is a lavish, endless list of domestic objects: water pitchers, sweaters, cakes on cake stands, petunias in a terra-cotta pot. Borrowing techniques from both fiction, poetry, and visual art (particularly photography), the book not only infuses each object, be it a juice glass or a paper napkin, with a Vermeeresque glow but arranges it into part of a verbal still life. The result? A fresh take on suburbia, one of reverence and skepticism."—Leigh Newman, Bookforum"Danielle Dutton's unnamed narrator stalks through yards, streets, and her own house with such sharp perception that everything she encounters—cake trays, the doorbell'ring, a dead body—becomes an object in her vast and impeccable still-life. Dutton's sentences are as taut and controlled as her narrator's mind, and a hint at what compels both ('I locate my body by grounding it against the bodies of others') betrays a fierce and feral searching. SPRAWL makes suburban landscapes thrilling again." —The Believer Book Award, Editors' Shortlist"Dutton's unnamed housewife roams sidewalks and manicured lawns like one of Benjamin's flaneurs, reminiscent of the contemporary urban walkers of Renee Gladman's stories or Gail Scott's My Paris. But this novel is like other works, and it is not—it is both unabashedly voracious in terms of literary sources and an extraordinarily original text."—Believer Magazine"In this reissue by Wave Books, poet and fiction writer Danielle Dutton observes the suburban. She walks along sprawling suburbs and considers the eeriness of its normalcy, the stillness of its imagination, with wry graceful attention."—Largehearted Boy"Imagine literally unpacking et cetera. This is what Dutton's experimental novel, SPRAWL, aspires to do. SPRAWL is a double entendre—written in single sentences with no paragraph breaks whatsoever, its prose affects a sprawling internal monologue of a female protagonist; the title also locates the novel in the suburbs, which, like et cetera, could go on forever. . . . It is an original approach to a conventional subject, a challenge to the basic ingredients of novels (setting, character development, point of view), and a reinvestigation of Victorian fascination with the inner lives of distraught, socially confined women. Dutton's rendition, because of its strict commitment to continuous run-on feels strange and new, even while echoing Molly Bloom's exasperated soliloquy at the end of Joyce's Ulysses.” —Cora Fisher, The Rumpus"It'a cousin of Woolf's stream of consciousness, focused almost entirely outward, and constructs, in the mundane setting of an unnamed suburb, a world of unexpected intensity. . . . One of the novel's many successes is that its narrator never succumbs to the malaise baked into the trope of the suburban housewife. Although she is often affectless, she is always keenly aware of her project. . . . This novel is a captivating exercise of language as a medium, a still life in just over a hundred pages."—Lauren Kane, Paris Review"Sprawl is not an essay but feels like essay—spreading out one’s thinking on the page, on many pages, to feel the accumulation of thought, motion of consciousness, its emotional mixtures and fresh perceptions, how it knows and un-knows at once, at twice, at thrice, O the rise and fall of one’s thoughts speeding towards the slow, slow drip, into blank page spaces. I’m talking about the variety of human consciousness, cogitation as action, contradictory thought tissues as plot with emotional, dramatic, and thematic resonances. On the page of essay, we encounter not ourselves but a voluminous representation of something like ourselves that makes us feel visible to ourselves and to others and connected to something totally other that may or may not be sentient. It’s wanting to not be left behind. Our ancestors we never knew who suffered and who felt pleasure, alone and with others. Of course we are left behind, but in the moment of composition—and perhaps replicated when we read the work of others—we feel something other, the touch of another. Thank you, Ms. Dutton, for making this book, Sprawl. I am alone but not feeling lonely."Jay Ponteri, Essay Daily

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Book SynopsisPopulated by a cast of imagined con artists, holy fools, drag queens, and partisans – as well as some very factual politicians, priests, and generals – this novel started life as a pseudonymous blog written ‘live’ by ‘Shalash’ during and after the Second Iraq War. Never written to be published, all but lost save for disintegrating printouts treasured by its devotees, Shalash the Iraqi is here presented in its first authorised translation, with the blessing and commentary of ‘Shalash’ himself. The second U.S. invasion of Iraq began in the spring of 2003. By the autumn of 2005, though the Saddam Hussein regime had reached its bloody end, ordinary Iraqis were seeing little improvement in their daily lives. In the midst of this turmoil, a hero arose – or, rather, a jester. In a country where electricity was only intermittently available, a series of blog posts began to appear at a soon-to-be-defunct website and took Baghdad by storm. Individual entries were printed out and passed around for months, until the pages were nearly shredded. Where neither computers nor printers were available, the posts were retold aloud, then passed along at second- and third-hand. What could inspire such devotion? Signed ‘Shalash the Iraqi’, the posts proved to be nothing less than portions of a madcap serial novel thumbing its nose at Iraq’s new normal. From drunken monologues to prayers, from poetry to dirty jokes, from fairy tales and folk stories to pratfall humour, this novel delights readers and sheds light on Iraq in equal measure.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZEDazzling' GUARDIANBlistering' THE TIMES''A delight'' DIANA EVANSFiction written at the highest level' ANN PATCHETT''Hilarious, revelatory'' MARLON JAMESAn electrifying, hilarious and deeply moving tragicomic debut novel following a Jamaican family grappling with a new life in the US.What are you?'This is the puzzled question that greets a young Trelawny growing up in a Miami where his racial ambiguity is regarded with confusion and suspicion. It's not just his neighbours, his Jamaican parents Topper and Sanya don't seem to understand him either. Then there's his stubborn older brother Delano, who is determined to secure a better future for his own children, no matter what it takes.As both brothers navigate the challenges littered in their path a woefully unreliable father, racism, recession and even a hurricane they find themselves increasingly at odds. Will they make it through together or must one brother's future come at the cost of the other?STrade Review‘Blistering … Escoffery writes stinging sentences’ The Times ‘All of life is here in unflinching detail: the fragility of existence, the American dream and the road not taken’ The Booker Prize Judges ‘Thrilling … With much tenderness in the gulf between father and son’ Observer ‘So brilliant it stopped me in my tracks … Astonishing’ iNews ‘Brilliantly energetic… his talent feels fully formed and raring to go’ Financial Times ‘Unmissable… rare in that it has the heft and heart of a novel, with the refined finesse of the short story’ Irish Times ‘Surges with the symphonic, imaginative, propulsive energy of Gabriel García Márquez’ Guardian ‘A compelling hurricane of a book’ Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House Profound, tender, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, If I Survive You will knock you off your feet and keep you spellbound to the very last page … A must-read. Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King, shortlisted for The Booker Prize ‘Superb… a much-needed new voice’ Percival Everett, author of Erasure 'This I adore… Sumptuous and astute' Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People ‘An elegant meditation on belonging from a powerful new writer’ Nikesh Shukla, author of Brown Baby ‘A dazzling mirror held up to our identity-obsessed time’ Joyce Carol Oates, author of Blonde ‘A gifted, sure-footed storyteller’ New York Times ‘Like nothing you've read before’ Marlon James, author of A Brief History of Seven Killings ‘So damn funny’ Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind

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Book Synopsis''Good-hearted and brutal at the same time, The Milkman in the Night is a complex, unsettling mixture of bleakness and warmth'' Sunday TimesRead this eccentric epic from the author of cult classic Death and the PenguinSemyon is disturbed. He has woken up in the living room with blood on his shirt, an angry wife and no idea where he was the night before. When this happens several mornings in a row, he realises he needs to investigate. After his friend Volodka follows him one night, they discover he''s meeting a tall, blonde woman and accompanying her to her apartment. In the daytime he doesn''t know this woman or where her apartment is and, odder yet, someone is watching Volodka watching Semyon. Meanwhile, there are some strange goings-on in Kyiv - an unemployed sniffer-dog handler makes a dangerous discovery, a single mother is providing breast milk for an unusual recipient and a vengeful cat is on the loose...Trade ReviewA glorious, epic, eccentric and often hilarious satire, heavily tinged with Russian melancholy -- Kate Saunders * The Times *There is much to enjoy in this book. Kurkov works in the tradition of Nikolai Gogol and Mikhail Bulgakov, blending folkloric characters, magical realism and political satire to reveal a society riddled with greed, stupidity and corruption -- Marina Lewycka * Financial Times *Good-hearted and brutal at the same time, The Milkman in the Night is a complex, unsettling mixture of bleakness and warmth * Sunday Times *Kurkov is hugely talented * Time Out *This book is a joyride... Kurkov has a rollercoaster of fun between zig and zag. He defies the reader not to join him * Scotsman *

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Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE****SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**Booker Prize-winning, internationally bestselling author Salman Rushdie has created a dazzling Don Quixote for the modern age. Inspired by the Cervantes classic, Sam DuChamp, mediocre writer of spy thrillers, creates Quichotte, a courtly, addled salesman obsessed with television, who falls in impossible love with the TV star Salman R. Together with his (imaginary) son Sancho, Quichotte sets off on a picaresque quest across America to prove worthy of her hand, gallantly braving the tragicomic perils of an age where 'Anything-Can-Happen'. Meanwhile his creator, in a midlife crisis, has equally urgent challenges of his own. Just as Cervantes wrote Don Quixote to satirise the culture of his time, Rushdie takes the reader on a wild ride through a country on the verge of moral and spiritual collapse, with the kind of storytelling magic that is the hallmark of his work. The fully realised lives of DuChamp and Quichotte intertwine in a profoundly human quest for love and a wickedly entertaining portrait of an age in which fact is so often indiscernible from fiction.Trade ReviewRushdie is one of the greats of his generation… But it’s rare for a writer to produce their best work towards the end of their career… Quichotte is one of the cleverest, most enjoyable metafictional capers this side of postmodernism… This novel can fly, it can float, it’s anecdotal, effervescent, charming, and a jolly good story to boot… Encore! Encore! * Sunday Times *A brilliant, funny, world-encompassing wonder… His readers realize that they would happily follow Rushdie to the end of the world… a glimmer of hope, like an impossible dream, is left for us [in Quichotte]. * Time Magazine *A triumphant assault on the coarsened American sensibility… [A] packed, funny, melancholy, masterpiece of a novel. * The Times *A novel that is as sharp as a flick-knife and as clever as a barrel of monkeys... More than just another postmodern box of tricks, [Quichotte] is a novel that feeds the heart while it fills the mind. * The Times *Rushdie’s fans will find much to love in this hyperactive, tenchicolour satire… Many balls are juggles here, but, somehow, Rushdie keeps them all gloriously in the air. * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly comic satire about a love affair from the visionary, world-class storyteller.Set in 1967, at the peak of the Mao cult, this is the tale of a forbidden love affair between Liu Lian - the bored wife of a military commander - and a young soldier, Wu Dawang.When Liu Lian establishes a rule that Wu Dawang must attend to her needs whenever the household's wooden 'Serve the People!' sign is removed from its usual place, he vows to obey. What follows is both an enthralling love story and a deliciously comic satire on the political and sexual taboos of Mao's regime.'Drips with the kind of satire that can only come from deep within the machinery of Chinese communism' Financial TimesTrade ReviewOne of China's greatest living authors and fiercest satirists * Guardian *Brilliantly exposes the emptiness of Maoist ideals and the fraudulent ends for which they were used, but also relates a sorrowful tale of compromised relationships and modest hopes left unfulfilled * Publishers Weekly *A scathing sendup of life in 1960s China during the chaos of the country's Cultural Revolution...a wonderfully biting sature, brimming with absurdity, humor and wit * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisNEW, FULLY UPDATED EDITION'Brexit means Brexit.' 'Strong and stable.' 'I don't think I'm in the least robotic.'Ever since Theresa May first whirred into inaction as prime minister, there has only been one reliable source of strength and stability: John Crace's political sketches for the Guardian. These doses of biting satire not only provided much-needed respite from the madness of it all, but also gave us his now notorious moniker for our automaton PM, the Maybot.In I, Maybot, Crace introduces a curated selection of his most acerbic sketches, charting May's tumultuous premiership to date. From the EU referendum and ensuing tragicomic leadership campaign, to the snap election, Tory-DUP coalition of chaos and endless Brexit wranglings, Crace's analysis makes for essential and uproariously entertaining reading.

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Book SynopsisLucy, the Devil, wants to retire. Brian, the Business Advisor, hates his job. When Brian’s jealous co-workers put him in Lucy’s crosshairs, she makes him an offer he can’t refuse: work for her and increase the productivity in Hell by 50% or suffer the cruel fate planned by his peers. To sweeten the deal, Lucy offers Brian the chance to be her successor if he pulls it off. Brian reluctantly agrees and dives in with both feet to the bureaucratic nightmare of Hell. To make it out alive, Brian faces Death, God, and Lucy’s own twin children.Trade Review“Positively corrupt and justifiably sinful, Brad’s story is entertaining and inventive. Challenging our indoctrinated understandings of good vs evil, it will have you rooting for the “bad guy” whilst all the while promoting that holiest of ideals, that merit over birthright is the true road to success.” -- Alan Burgon, actor

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Book SynopsisAll roads lead to the Celestial City and when schoolmaster Po Cheng drinks too much and falls into a dream, he finds himself on just such a road. Assisted by teaching colleague Miss Ling, Po Cheng reaches the imperial capital, rising up through the giddy ranks of the Chinese civil service to become Prime Minister. Good fortune appears endless, not least when Miss Ling reappears as an artist’s model who has changed her name to Precious Pearl so she can pose in the Forest of Brushes Academy of Art without her parents finding out. But what Heaven—and alcohol—hand out, they can also claw back. Trouble is brewing inside and outside the city walls, and Po Cheng’s eminence means he must now take the rap and face consequences inevitable from the start. Mustard Seed Itinerary is a brilliant first novel by an important new voice, bringing to the formal conventions of traditional Chinese literature the wry humour of Carrollian satire. As Mullen says, ‘In Daoism and Buddhism, dream journeys serve as voyages of discovery from which only a blockhead would return none the wiser. And Po Cheng is no blockhead.’

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Book SynopsisLiam is breezing through life. Not even a national lockdown can phase him and why would it? He can simply sit it out; watch the world go by from the safety of his apartment balcony. It’s a good plan and it would have worked too had it not been for the bearded homeless guy hanging out on the park bench below. When Liam mistakenly crosses him, there is no stopping the series of darkly comic events that follow and that will change Liam’s life forever. Praise for Andy Tilley’s previous novel, Recycling Jimmy: “Recycling Jimmy is energetic, imaginative, relentlessly and unabashedly vulgar, and at times, funny enough to make a cranky reviewer laugh out loud. This belongs on every eccentric fiction fan’s short list of oddball black comedies...” Booklist

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Book SynopsisA masterly new translation of Rabelais’s robust scatalogical comedy Parodying everyone from classic authors to his own contemporaries, the dazzling and exuberant stories of Rabelais expose human follies with mischievous and often obscene humor. Gargantua depicts a young giant who becomes a cultured Christian knight. Pantagruel portrays Gargantua’s bookish son who becomes a Renaissance Socrates, divinely guided by wisdom and by his idiotic, self-loving companion, Panurge.

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Book SynopsisJoin the Larkins for another adventure in the much-loved series, inspiration for the new ITV drama starring Bradley Walsh''Christening? We never said nothing about no christening, Ma, did we?''And so with the appearance of a letter announcing the imminent arrival of Madame Dupont, Pop and Ma Larkin learn that little Oscar and Blenheim - Charley and Mariette''s new boy - are to be christened.In fact, once Mr Candy - who will be officiating (much to raven-haired Primrose''s delight) - learns that Pop and Ma have neglected the entire Larkin brood, the whole family seems set for a dunking!Pop, who needs no excuse to open a few bottles of Dragon''s Blood and host the perfick party, rushes out and buys a fun fair to celebrate.But there are one or two gatecrashers even Pop hadn''t counted on turning up . . .Trade ReviewThey are absolute comfort books . . . all five titles are being rereleased just in time for summer * The Lady *As funny as Evelyn Waugh and as enchanting as Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie. Don't miss it -- - * Hearald *Pop Larkin, Ma and their progeny . . . are essentially English of the rich and ribald England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. A superb and timeless comedy -- - * Scotsman *Pop is as sexy, genial, generous, and boozy as ever. Ma is a worthy match for him in all these qualities -- - * The Times *Pop Larkin is a living, breathing quotable character, cast large in the heroic mould -- - * The Times *Busty and lusty -- - * New Statesman *A gently, anarchic wish-fulfilling daydream -- - * The Times *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the world of Fairy Tales, Millennial style...Inside you''ll find Sleeping Beauty waking up Woke, the Nanny Goats Gruff getting trolled, and three little pigs explaining that - realistically - a house of straw is really the only way a first time buyer can get on the property ladder.Goldilocks discovers a darling little Porridge pop-up, the Pied Piper shifts his content strategy to attract more followers, and Hansel and Gretel meet a witch with a disruptive approach to clean eating.

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Book SynopsisKurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. During the Second World War he served in Europe and, as a prisoner of was in Germany, witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired his classic novel Slaughterhouse-Five. He is the author of thirteen other novels, three collections of stories and five non-fiction books. Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007.Trade ReviewVonnegut is masterful at quickly sketching a character who you instantly recognise and immeadiately are willing to follow... no matter the plot, you as the reader know that by the end of the story, you will get somewhere. That Vonnegut will tell you something with candour and clarity -- Dave EggersA cool writer, at once throwaway and passionate and very funny * Financial Times *A satirist with a heart, a moralist with a whoopee cushion, a cynic who wants to believe -- Jay McInerneyUnimitative and inimitable social satirist * Harper's *A laughing prophet of doom * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER Everybody wanted the railway close, oh yes please, but not so close that they could hear it or smell it'It's only in dictatorships that the trains run on time. Everywhere else, signal failures, leaves on the line, the wrong type of snow and the wrong type of sunlight make departure and arrival times just a nice, idealistic theory. So when it becomes a matter of life and death to get a train somewhere on time, the odds don't look good especially if that somewhere is a completely new destination. The only thing that upsets people more than railway delays, after all, is building more railway. Past their back gardens. And some of those people will go to extremes to stop locomotion in its tracksBritish fiction's most brilliant satire on contemporary life' TelegraphThe most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasiesat once hilariously cynical and idealistically practical'IndepeTrade Review“Consistently funny, wise and clever. . . . Rewarding to both longtime readers and novices, filled with characters who leap off the page and metaphors that make you laugh out loud. . . . Pratchett's appeal isn't just his roller-coaster plots but the depth of his ideas.” —Sam Thielman, Newsday “Salted among all the treacle miners and nascent trainspotters are some serious ideas about technology and the irrevocable changes it brings. . . . While exploring questions about the unintended consequences of technology, Pratchett also blasts fundamentalists who resist all progress. But mostly he seems to be having fun with words in the very British strain of absurdist humor that he has made his own. And 40 books in, why not?” —Sara Sklaroff, The Washington Post “A delightful fantasy send-up of politics, economics and finance, as the Discworld gets a railway and complications ensue. . . . A lovely homage to the courage at the core of technological advance. . . . Pratchett melds politics, finance and the occasional dark turn with his fantasy and humor, and as ever his footnotes are not to be missed. . . . How many writers are more fun to spend time with?” —Ken Armstrong, The Seattle Times “A spectacular novel, and a gift from a beloved writer to his millions of fans. . . . A tremendous synthesis of everything that makes Pratchett one of the world’s most delightful writers.” —Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing“What began with a farcical satire of pseudomedieval fantasy has become a Dickensian mirror of contemporary western society. . . . Raising Steam is the latest transformation of a remarkable fictional world that has evolved and grown with its creator—and it shows how, in the way of many things invested with devotion on the Disc itself, the Discworld has taken on a life of its own.” —Karin L. Kross, Tor.com “From the first, the novels demonstrated Pratchett's eye for telling detail and the absurdities of the human condition. . . . He remains one of the most consistently funny writers around; a master of the stealth simile, the time-delay pun and the deflationary three-part list. . . . I could tell which of my fellow tube passengers had downloaded it to their e-readers by the bouts of spontaneous laughter.” —Ben Aaronovitch, The Guardian"Terry Pratchett’s creation is still going strong after 30 years. . . . Most aficionados, however, will be on the look-out for in-jokes and references from previous novels—of which there is no shortage. Discworld’s success, like that of Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster stories, has never been driven by the plots. . . . It is at the level of the sentence that Pratchett wins his fans.” —Andrew McKie, The Times (London) “A brash new invention brings social upheaval, deadly intrigues, and plenty of wry humor to the 40th installment of Pratchett’s best-selling Discworld fantasy series. . . . As always, Pratchett’s unforgettable characters and lively story mirror the best, the worst, and the oddest bits of our own world, entertaining readers while skewering social and political foibles in a melting pot of humanity, dwarfs, trolls, goblins, vampires, and a werewolf or two.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Brimming with Pratchett’s trademark wit, a yarn with a serious point made with style and elegance.” —Kirkus Reviews “Leavened with Pratchett’s usual puns, philosophical quips, and Discworld in-jokes, the story offers an amusing allegory of Earthly technology’s many seductions.” —Booklist Praise for Terry Pratchett “Terry Pratchett may still be pegged as a comic novelist, but . . . he’s a lot more. In his range of invented characters, his adroit storytelling, and his clear-eyed acceptance of humankind’s foibles, he reminds me of no one in English literature as much as Geoffrey Chaucer. No kidding.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World“Given his prolificacy and breezy style, it’s easy to underestimate Pratchett. . . . He’s far more than a talented jokesmith, though. His books are almost always better than they have to be.” —Michael Berry, San Francisco Chronicle“Nonstop wit. . . . Pratchett is a master of juggling multiple plotlines and multiplying punchlines.” —Ken Barnes, USA Today

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Book SynopsisWhy are we all so hostile? So quick to take offence? Truly we are living in the age of outrage. A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn't get' a single thing about anything anymore.Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having misspoken' and prostrates themselves before the judgement of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public that is not who I am.But if nobody is who they are anymore - then who the f##k are we?Ben Elton returns with a blistering satire of the world as it fractures around us. Get ready for a roller-coaster thriller, where nothing - and no one - is off limits.

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Book SynopsisOne summer her sister never came home from the fair. This summer she''s determined to find out why. ''Quirky, original and charming'' Sarah Turner ? The Unmumsy Mum ''Fresh, unique, powerful and incredibly poignant. And, of course, hilarious too!'' Beth O''Leary The fair is the only good thing that happens every year. And Fiona Larson is the only kid in town who''s never been. She''s pretended to go - but she''s never been allowed. Because, before Flora was even born, her sister died there.This year everything will be different. And Fiona Larson will find out what really happened.Set in the summer of 1996, All The Fun of the Fair is a bittersweet, nostalgic, hilarious and heartbreaking mystery, perfect for Beth O''Leary, Ruth Jones and Marian Keyes.Trade ReviewSometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking, it's compelling and beautifully written -- Sara Lawrence * Daily Mail *A nostalgic trip down memory lane with a heroine it's impossible not to love. * The Sun *Always such a treat to read a Caroline Hulse novel! I loved The Adults and Like A House On Fire, but I think this is my fave of them all. Quirky, original and charming, with plenty of school years nostalgia. I could not love Fiona more. -- Sarah Turner * The Unmumsy Mum *All the Fun of the Fair is an absolute JOY. Funny, clever, and with its mid-90s setting, brilliantly nostalgic. The hilarious, beleaguered protagonist, Fiona Larson, is the new Adrian Mole. Though she'd probably say Adrian had it easy, being a boy and all... * Nicola Mostyn *Fiona Larson is one of the most memorable characters I've read for a long time. If you liked Adrian Mole or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time then you'll love All the Fun of the Fair. * Emma Cooper *Fresh, unique, powerful and incredibly poignant. And, of course, hilarious too! Fiona is a wonderful character, completely three-dimensional and real, who will no doubt capture many hearts * Beth O'Leary *I LOVED this book SO much. I defy anyone not to fall completely in love with Fiona Larson. Even when she's being a bit awful. Especially then. I laughed out loud throughout. Read it. It makes everything feel that bit better. * Charlotte Levin *How can something be so completely hilarious, and so utterly heartbreaking? From page one of All the Fun of the Fair I was totally enthralled by Fiona and her tragically relatable (and relatably tragic) life. The immensely compelling writing would be enough to make this one of my books of 2021, but the captivating and brilliant story makes Hulse's newest novel something extra special. I can't recommend it enough. * LUCY VINE *Caroline Hulse at her absolute best... I defy anyone not to fall in love (and empathy) with Fiona Larson. I haven't felt so moved by a narrator since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Nostalgic, moving, hilarious and heartbreaking, this painfully astute book has it all. I demand a sequel please. * CHARLOTTE DUCKWORTH *Quirky, funny and touching. Sheer joy from the first page to the last.Another absolute belter from Caroline Hulse. * CATHY BRAMLEY *

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Book SynopsisA rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, by one of our best chroniclers of faith in the 21st century."I enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read" PHILIP PULLMAN"[Arditti] has given us a novel very much for our time, good enough to be for all time, too" The Scotsman"An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative" ROWAN WILLIAMS"The perfect combination of matters ecclesiastical and artistic" Financial Times"Bursting with intellectual richness and joyously acidic dialogue" The Spectator"A compelling read" Observer" I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers" MIRANDA SEYMOUR"An intelligent and entertaining novel that handles lightly problems of great moral weight" GuardianAs a woman in the early 1980s, Clarissa Phipps is unable to pursue her priestly vocation. Instead, she joins the BBC, where she is sent to interview the artist Seward Wemlock about the panels he is painting for an ancient Cheshire church."A serious and important writer" ROSE TREMAIN"Arditti has delivered a complex moral fable with skill and aplomb" Mail on SundayThirty years on, now rector of that same church, she chances upon Brian, the chief bell-ringer and husband of her closest friend, fondling fifteen-year-old David. David claims they are in love, but Clarissa is obliged to act. Will she choose friendship or conscience, sympathy or her duty of care?The fallout from that choice forces her to reflect on past concerns over Wemlock's relationship with his teenage models. Had she heeded the whispers at the time, how many lives - her own included - would have turned out differently?The Choice is a rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, questioning whether it's possible, let alone prudent, to separate the art from the artist, which reaches to the heart of the contemporary culture wars. Richly comic and deeply compassionate, it is a remarkable synthesis of the sacred and profane."At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene. Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti's own masterpiece to date" AMANDA CRAIGTrade ReviewI enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read. -- PHILIP PULLMANPast sins, present values, forgiveness and redemption all inform this subtle modern morality tale . . . A compelling read. -- Peter Stanford * Observer *An absorbing novel, a mature and important work . . . [Arditti] has given us a novel very much for our time, good enough to be for all time, too -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *The Choice is an intelligent and entertaining novel that handles lightly problems of great moral weight. Clarissa faces many hard choices and unearths many horrors, but in the end, for her and for the reader, it is all worth it. -- Christopher Shrimpton * Guardian *A book that probes any number of aggressive varieties of moralism, while testing the reader's own moral alertness for rigour, realism and generosity. An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative. -- ROWAN WILLIAMSIn a novel bursting with intellectual richness and joyously acidic dialogue, it's fitting he ends on a deliciously poised note - a question rather than an answer -- Jude Crook * The Spectator *A serious and important writer -- ROSE TREMAINMichael Arditti's magnificent novel is the first to place a woman priest at the centre of what proves to be an irresistibly readable, thoughtful and characteristically witty examination of the quandaries and compromises faced by the Church of England in an era of decline . . . I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers. -- MIRANDA SEYMOURArditti has delivered a complex moral fable with skill and aplomb -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene . . . Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti's own masterpiece to date. -- AMANDA CRAIGArditti's fondness for comic flourishes adds levity to what is not infrequently a discomforting exploration of art, religion and morality - one that, with the fate of artist Eric Gill's oeuvre back In the headlines, feels very current -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *Challenging, mischievous and enormously satisfying. -- Neil Norman * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisIn this madcap tale from the bestselling author of Dumped, Actually, two’s company for Jake and his bestie Sy. But three? A disaster! Jake Carlisle is living his best life, thanks to the crazily successful influencer channel he created with his best friend Sy. Reviewing whacky hobbies and adrenaline-fuelled adventures, Sy has pushed Jake into doing more exciting stuff than either ever thought possible. Then disaster strikes. When newbie Helena joins the team, Sy quickly falls head over heels for her…All of a sudden, with romance blossoming and the business dynamic shifting, Jake is horrified to find himself becoming the dreaded third wheel. Being the odd one out was not what he signed up for. And he’ll do anything to get his best friend back—even if that involves a little light sabotage, an unhealthy amount of jealousy…and one very unfortunate pair of tartan Speedos. Will Jake be relegated to the background from now on? Or will he finally learn to stand on his own two feet and succeed at getting his life—along with his friendship—back on track?

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Book SynopsisAT ONCE A PLAYFUL BRAINTEASER ABOUT GEOMETRY, A POINTED SATIRE OF VICTORIAN MANNERSAND A STRANGELY COMPELLING ARGUMENT ABOUT THE GREATEST MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE. The Wall Street JournalThis highly entertaining satirical novella, written by English schoolmaster Edwin A. Abbott was first published in 1884, and for more than 100 years has continued to charm readers.A masterpiece of science fiction, it is in actuality a social commentary told through a mathematical framework offering pointed observations on the social hierarchy of Victorian culture. Abbott recounts the journeys of A. Square, a mathematician and resident of the two-dimensional Flatland, where women, represented by thin, straight lines are the lowliest of shapes, and where men may have any number of sides, depending on their social status.Through unusual occurrences, A. Square, has his perspective transformed forever as he comes into contact with a host of geometric forms, including those of one dimension in Lineland, three dimensions in Spaceland, and no dimensions in Pointland. He is returned to his two-dimensional world after he entertains a revolutionary idea of visiting a land of four dimensions.Flatland is not only fascinating book, but it is also a first-rate fictional introduction to the concept of the multiple dimensions of space. Einstein's 1915 publication of the theory of relativity made Flatland popular as a prophet of four dimensions. It is still popular today amongst mathematics, physics, and computer science students. This brilliantly eccentric classic is an invitation to see beyond our own reality and influenced writers from Carl Sagan to Stephen Hawking.

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Book SynopsisBob Slocum is anxious, bored and fearful of his job. So why is it he wants nothing more than the chance to speak at the next company convention? In this darkly satirical book, Joseph Heller takes us for a turn on the maddening hamster wheel of work. Heller’s workplace is a cradle of paranoia, bravado and nauseating banter, forever shadowed by that perennial question, who’s really running the show here? In Heller’s hands, our daily grind has never seemed so absurd.Selected from the book Something Happened by Joseph HellerVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis series:Drinking by John CheeverSwimming by Roger DeakinLiberty by Virginia WoolfDeath by Julian BarnesTrade ReviewIt is splendidly put together and hypnotic to read. It is as clear and hard-edged as a cut diamond -- Kurt Vonnegut * New York Times *Imagine our joy when Vintage announced that it is publishing a collection of easily digestible books from the world’s most celebrated writers on the experiences that make us human… They look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book. * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisAnxious? Angry? Waking up in the middle of the night to worry about plastic pollution, Brexit and why everything seems to be so horrible all the time? Thumb sore from scrolling through the Guardian news app, even though it makes you want to cry? Us too. But help is here, in the shape of Stuart Heritage's hilarious Bedtime Stories for Worried Liberals. Put down your phone, log off Twitter, and let yourself be lulled to sleep by stories from a world where Brexit disappears in a puff of smoke, Waitrose is free, and Fairy Godmothers look a lot like Barack Obama. Including: The Three Liberal Pigs; Jack and the Sustainably Produced Meat Substitute Stalk; and The Night Before Brexmas; The Very Trendy Caterpillar; Trumplestiltskin; Camerella.Trade ReviewThe funniest book I've read this year ... Superb -- Will StorrThe perfect Christmas gift has been published. Guardian journalist Stuart Heritage puts a short, "snowfakey" twist on classics...130 pages of sweary funniness, aimed at the Twitterati. * The Herald *No one writes about the incidentals and the characteristics of British life better than Stuart Heritage * Dolly Alderton *For fun Christmas reading, I can recommend Stuart Heritage's Bedtime Stories for Worried Liberals -- John Crace * The Guardian *Laugh-out-loud * The iPaper *

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Book SynopsisWhy has his wife abandoned him after 23 years of blissful marriage? Is she having a midlife crisis? Should he be having one, too? Life is absolutely fine for Hugh and Liz Thorpe in Cambridge, England – a comfortable lifestyle, good health, kids to be proud of and a loving relationship. Then Hugh decides to take early retirement and it all goes hopelessly wrong. A succession of twists and turns are preventing a restoration to the normality that the couple increasingly crave as their children, parents and friends find out that immaturity isn’t exclusively the preserve of the young. A satirical novel about the fragility of even the most robust relationships. If you like wry British humor, this is for you. “This tale of self-doubt, adultery and forgiveness is shot through with humour and compassion. A most enjoyable read.” David Lister, The Independent “Warm, witty, poignant…characters that stay with you.” June Flath, author of A Secret Affair and Lost and Found “Modern life is captured in a completely recognizable way, the style is accessible, vivid and entertaining. Best bit of fiction I've read on this theme.” “Laugh out loud funny and completely moving at the same time.”

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